Chapter Five - Settling In

Kari's POV

"I will speak to my father about it." Henrik said to the man. I was intrigued, and i felt Hela perk up in my head as well, but it wasn't my place. "Thank you for bringing it to me."

Henrik led me into the elevator and we traveled up to the sixth floor. When the doors opened, he led me into a large sitting room. It was decorated in light airy colors and the windows faced out over the forest. Large white fabric sofas were placed around an open fireplace and a wide screen TV was attached to the wall above it. A chandelier hung from the ceiling in the centre. The room was beautiful. Henrik led me down a couple of steps and sat me down on the settee. It was stunning.

"This is Gloria, she is one of our Omega's." He said, pointing out a young girl with brunette hair that had streaks of green in it. She smiled sweetly at me and bowed her head. "Gloria, this is my sister Kari. She may not yet be apart of the pack, but she will be afforded the same respect as any of the Alpha family. If you experience anyone disrespecting her, let me know immediately."

"Of course, Alpha," The girl said again. "Her suite is clean and ready."

"Thank you Gloria." She tilted her head to the side and left the room. I frowned.

'That is a mark of submission and respect to the Alpha.' Hela said. 'They will likely do that to you once they find out the truth about us.'

'Truth about us?'

'It will come.' Was all she said before disappearing in the recesses of my mind. I was starting to notice her more now I knew she was there. I could feel her feelings, and sense what she was doing now. It was an experience, to say the least.

"I heard that phrase earlier. Omega?" I said to my brother as he sat in the chair.

"It is a rank in the pack system. They work keeping the day to day things running around the packhouse. Things such as cleaning, cooking, washing and gardening", he explained. " Some packs treat them as slaves, but here they are paid and well looked after. They have everything they need to live a happy and healthy life. They even get the chance to train and learn to protect themselves from a young age. Some are even promoted to Warrior status. Delta Raidon was an Omega, but he worked so hard that he worked through the ranks and became my Delta."

"Really? Slaves? Is that even legal?" I asked him, appalled by the fact, ignoring the rest of what he said.

"Unfortunately, we have different laws in wolfen society," he said. "But we are trying to get it outlawed. The council of Elders are in a battle of wills over it."

"That is terrible." I said. "Council of Elders?"

"They are like your government," he explained. "We will make sure you know everything you need to know, just let's take it slow. Normally, we learn all of this in school, and in pack training, so you have a lot to catch up on, but Hela will help you, as will all of us."

"I can't agree with you more on that one," I said. My brain was close to exploding with all the new information. I heard Hela chortle in the back of my mind.

"There is one thing I need to warn you about." I looked at him. "We are hidden from humans, it is against our laws to let humans know about us unless there are certain circumstances."

"So I can't tell my friend?" I asked with a sign. She was my confidant, I told her everything.

"I'm afraid not." He said with a sad look. I nodded.

"You can tell her anything else, that you have found your family, you can even tell her about the threats our grandfather gave our father, but you can't tell her about wolves. You just have to be liberal with the truth. You can tell her you were attacked by a wild wolf, that's why you haven't been in contact. We are known for wild wolves around Scandinavia. That should help you to calm her. If she wants to come and see you, we can set her up on the outskirts of the pack land in the human town."

"What are the circumstances when they can be told?" I asked.

"If they are mated to a wolf. Like your mother was." He said. "But it is the mates' responsibility to tell them."

I nodded. "OK, thank you. I think that's my quota for new information for now. I do, however, need to get my stuff from the house. Because I am certain my phone and iPad will have been blown up, i was supposed to call her last night after I was settled."

"Already done, everything is in your new suite. Ingrid will show you it later." Henrik said with a smile.

"Thank you for welcoming me so easily. It can't be easy to know your father had someone before your mother."

"Their story is for them to tell you, but it was forced and it was a struggle for both of them." Henrik said, a look of sadness. "But she sees you as her own daughter, and we couldn't be happier to have you here. The only thing I ask, is that you give father a chance, it broke him to leave you."

"Hela said the same, and as I said to her, I will give him a chance. I will hear him out but it will take some time for me to forgive him," I said. "And only when I am ready."

"He understands that, and he is ready whenever you are." He smiled. "One little warning."

"What's that?" I asked as the door banged open and this blur of purple flew at Henrik.

"Pappa!" Came the high-pitched squeal of a little girl.

"You have the company of your niece today." He laughed as he hugged the little girl. "Heather, this is your Auntie Kari. You and Mumie are going to show her around today. But you have to be gentle as she has a poorly arm."

"Hello Auntie Kari." She said with a big smile, her sapphire eyes lighting up as she looked at me.

"Hello sweet girl, you can call me Rara," I smiled at her. She got off her father's lap and crawled on to mine.

"What did you do to your arm, Rara?" She asked tenderly, prodding the bandage.

"Uh..." I wasn't sure how to explain a bunch of wolves attacked me to a child.

"She just got caught on something whilst she was working my little kjæreste." He told her. I noticed Ingrid slowly walking in, her hand on her swollen stomach,

"My God, your daughter is fast." She mumbled, falling heavily onto the sofa next to me.

"Why is she my daughter when she is up to no good, but our daughter when she is behaving?" Henrik asked her, with a grin.

"Because she takes after you." Ingrid responded. "God Morgan, Kari. How are you feeling today?"

"Much better thank you, still feel like I am dreaming." I said, stroking Heather's hair. "In less than 48 hours, my life has been turned completely upside down."

"I can't imagine how you must be feeling, we have this lifestyle sprung on us pretty much the moment we can understand." Ingrid said. "But I am here for whatever you need, and so is Olivia and Henrik. Your father is too, but I know that one will be a little while yet."

"Thank you. I appreciate it all." I smiled.

"Right, I have to get to work, this pack isn't going to run itself." Henrik said, standing up. He leant down and kissed Heather's head and then did the same to Ingrid. "If you need anything, all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you Henrik." I smiled. He left the room.

"So, I thought we would have some food and then go for a quick tour, and then a nap, because she will be a nightmare without a nap, and when she naps it's the only time I can nap, and you need to rest." She said, standing up. I chuckled and followed suit.

"I like that way of thinking."

Henriks POV

I was glad Ingrid showed up. Not that I didn't want to spend time with Kari, but the news my Delta brought to me was weighing on my mind. I mind-linked Ralf, Raidon and my father to meet me in my office and they all appeared not long after. They all sat down around my desk and Raidon handed me the book he had found. There were now a number of markers marking pages.

"What's going on? is Kari OK?" My father asked.

"She is fine, she is with Ingrid and Heather."

"She may not be once Heather has finished with her." Ralf snorted.

"Now, Raidon has found something interesting," I said. "Pappa, are you sure that your fated mate was human?"

"Unless she had some sort of spell on her to hide her wolf, yes. Why?" I opened the book and handed it to him. He read through it and I noticed his face go white. "My actions may have killed the missing Princess?"

"You didn't kill Jennifer Pappa, if anyone is to blame. It is Grandfather." I told him. "And. It may not be anything. We won't know until she shifts. The only way we will know, will be if she has the mark in wolf form."

"She also needs to be a pure white wolf," Raidon said. "A pure white wolf, purple eyes, the royal mark and her fur is opalescent in the moon's light."

I could feel Thor shifting in my mind. 'Thor? What is it?'

'She needs to be part of the pack, she needs to be safe.'

'She will in three days on the full moon.'

'Now.' He said.

'Thor, the ritual.'

'I don't care, she needs to now, she needs our pack's protection.'

'She might not be of Royal Birth yet.'

'But she might be a private ceremony, just family. We can't wait.'

'Thor, what is going on?'

'She will shift on the full moon,'

'How do you know?'

'Trust me, I've already said more than I should. She needs our protection.' I huffed.

"Everything OK?" Ralf asked with a frown.

"Thor is pacing, said Kari, needs to be initiated today. Won't take no for an answer."

"Odin is of the same mind. He wants his pup protected just in case, but won't tell me why."

"They know more than they are letting on?" Ralf asked.

"I think so." I muttered. "Does Rory know anything?"

"Nope, Rory is as clueless as the rest of us. He only has an urge to protect her, but I felt that when I first picked her up, I assumed it was just because she was one of my Alpha females." Ralf said.

"He did say she would shift on the full moon," I said. "I don't think the shift should be done with the pack like normal. If she is royalty, the less who knows, the better."

"I agree." My father said. "And as much as you say she needs to take it slowly, I think she needs to know a little about how the pack system works at least. If she is what we think she is, then she needs to be prepared, because if she is, then her grandfather will be with us the moment she shifts. If what you say is true, he will feel her."

"But how did he lose his daughter if this is the case?" I asked him. None of this was adding up and I was getting more and more confused,

"She was hidden well, she was made human and knew nothing of our world. I never marked her, and never told her anything about my life as a wolf. She knew nothing of her parents, told me she was an orphan and had no record of any family. She had been left outside a fire station."

"No marking explains why she never found you and how she lasted the three years." I said. "But how did you hide Odin from her and how did grandfather not find you sooner?"

"Odin and I agreed to protect Jennifer, so we would pretend we were human and he went into a hibernated state. Which meant father couldn't sense us, but we made a mistake and he found us. He would never have allowed me to have a human as a Luna. Looks like the joke is on him." My father explained.

"Do we call them now?" I asked.

"Whom?" My father asked.

"The King?" I responded

"If she is royal, then if he is here, her shift will be easier." He responded, "But if she isn't, we are getting his hopes up for nothing. And presently..." He started as something clicked in his mind.

"What?" I frowned.

"I know why Odin and Thor want her initiated now."

"Why?" Ralf asked, speaking up.

"If he comes, he will remove her, for her safety, she will be taken away, and if she isn't royalty, she is rouge and he hates rouge's and blames them for his daughter being taken." He explained and we all slumped as the realization hit us.

He will kill her.